The Pittsburgh Pirates’ season didn’t start on the right foot. The bullpen coughed up three leads in the first five games of the season, contributing to a 1-5 start.
Two-time All-Star David Bednar was at the center of two of those losses, failing to record an out in two of his first three outings. The righty was coming off a season in which he posted a 5.77 ERA. That, combined with his early-season struggles, caused the Pirates to option the closer to AAA-Indianapolis.
Bednar spent about three weeks pitching in the minors and used the opportunity to reset. It’s paid dividends so far, as he has converted seven of nine save opportunities and has a 2.61 ERA since being recalled on April 19.
In Bednar’s tumultuous 2024 season, he had difficulty commanding his curveball. He left the ball up in the zone frequently, and opposing hitters weren’t whiffing on pitches in the zone. Over the past several weeks, he’s kept his curveball and splitter down in the zone and racked up swinging strikes. His 37% strikeout rate since April 19 is ninth in baseball among qualified relievers.
Pirates manager Don Kelly was very complimentary of Bednar after Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
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“They both came in firing strikes with all their pitches,” Kelly said of Bednar and Dennis Santana. “Bednar is throwing some nasty splits, got (Kyle) Schwarber on a curveball, and is running it 98.”
If Bednar continues to close out games as effectively as he has, he could be selected for his third career All-Star game.
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Featured image via Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images